B.C. premier won’t step in on question of BC Ferries China deal

B.C. Premier David Eby says the BC Ferries procurement deal with China Merchants Industry (CMI) Weihai will go ahead as announced.

“Reopening would mean a delay in delivering ferries for British Columbians who are desperate for them. It would mean significantly increased costs. At this point, I’m not prepared to do that,” Eby explained.

He said he shares the discomfort of many vocal critics over the past week, adding he would have liked to see the vessels being built here in B.C.

“The ferries aren’t going to get built here at home. That’s a serious issue,” he said.

On the other hand, Eby says he decided against stopping the deal because the old fleet of vessels urgently needs to be replaced, and he doesn’t want to delay the project by interfering.

“It’s urgent, and I treat that with urgency, and so we’re going to make sure that families are supported, businesses are supported, who are ferry dependent,” he said.

Additionally, he referred to BC Ferries procurement process and the fact that no Canadian shipyard applied to build the new vessel.

“It’s certainly a concern to me that BC Ferries would put out a procurement call for four new ferries, and not a single Canadian company would feel they had the capacity to build those ferries, and so not a single Canadian company bid on that contract,” Eby told reporters at a press conference in Victoria.

Backlash mounted

Eby says he is planning to reach out to Prime Minister Mark Carney to ensure that Canada’s and B.C.’s building capacity is large enough, so that the next vessels can be “built right here in British Columbia.”

It has yet to be seen if this will calm down the debate around the BC Ferries deal that has erupted since the deal was announced.

Especially since Eby’s own Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth shared his concerned, too.

Farnworth says he raised his concerns with BC Ferries directly, given the ongoing trade tensions between Canada and China.

Last week, the BC Conservatives called on the NDP government to cancel the deal with the Chinese state-owned shipbuilder.

Peter Milobar, the opposition finance critic, emphasized that the province needs to take a more active role in such significant decisions.

“[The government] cannot hide behind [this], saying BC Ferries is independent. BC Ferries’ only shareholder is the province of British Columbia,” Milobar said.

Eby did not directly respond directly to a reporter’s question about “rethinking” BC Ferries’ position as an independent company Tuesday, but the premier said that he “struggles to understand” how BC Ferries went through a five year procurement process.